Alstroemeria x vanhouttei Hort.

William Herbert saw these plants at Louis van Houtte’s nursery and wrote of them:  ‘They are of every tint, from scarlet to lemon-colour, and from crimson to pale pink, variegated with white.  It would have been difficult to find two plants, amidst the great number then in bloom, of which the flowers were exactly similar, some being remarkable for the delicacy, as others for the brilliancy, of their hues.  Another very long bed of younger plants raised from last years seed of the former, was in vigorous progress, and already showed many flower buds.  The foliage of all the plants was nearly similar, the average height of the inflorescence being, I should think, between 12 and 18 inches.  Mr. Van Houtte informs me that he purchased the whole from the person who raised them; and, from their appearance, I should pronounce them mules between A. Hookeriana and haemantha.  I cannot assert that A. pulchra and aurantiaca may not have been in part concerned with their production, but I rather attribute it to Hookeriana and one of the best varieties of haemantha, such as Barclayi.  They were planted in a mixture of vegetable earth and strong soil, with the Ghent sand, and in some parts the plants seemed to have suffered from the compost being too light and sandy.  I do not recollect having ever seen a bed of flowers so beautiful; and I should think Mr. Van Houtte will find it difficult to supply the demand for them, when their merit shall become fully known.’  [Gard. Chron. July 12th, 1845].